Yasha Kazakov was cheered today as he returned to Israel following his eight-day hunger strike near United Nations headquarters in New York. “We are proud of you” read a large student-made poster at Lydda Airport. The 23-year-old Soviet emigre told a press conference here that he had ended his strike not, as has been reported, because of pleas by the Israeli Government and by his father, still refused emigration from the Soviet Union, but because he felt his action had impressed on the governments involved the necessity for easing the emigration flow to Israel. Premier Golda Meir, in a letter to Mr. Kazakov presented to him by her deputy Shlomo Shiloh, said she had followed the news of his strike and hoped he was in good health. “You are not alone,” she wrote him. Young Kazakov was carried from the airport on the shoulders of the crowd.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.